I read somewhere today that the Grizz may actually be interested in Calderon as a suitable backup to Conley. I know there is quite a bit of Bayless love around here but if you check his games thus far this season, he is not performing.

The key for Toronto to get Gay will be multiple teams entering the mix.

What a sweet wet dream it would be to have the Lakers and Minnesota enter the mix with Memphis and Toronto. Adding more stimulus to this wet dream, I did read somewhere today that the Wolves/Grizz were speaking about Gay but the Wolves are looking for a big man more than another wing and they have also made it clear Derrick Williams is not a part of the future (or present).

Well, looky here. What did Hollinger have to say about Williams this past summer:

Lakers get stretch 4 and back up PG. By shedding $2M they actually save about $6M in salary and tax.

Memphis get under cap and shed salary with a SF (Williams), PF (Davis), backup PG (Ridnour), and versatile wing (Anderson) in return. Toronto, Minnesota can send picks to Memphis (Raps 2nd round picks, Wolves have Memphis 1st as it is so send it back).

Raptors get the infamous missing wing in Gay. Pekovic becomes starting C as JV is brought back after injury (he could be traded again, resigned this summer). Raps are thin at PF but Amir becomes new starter with a platoon of Fields, Kleiza, Acy doing back up (after January 15th Arthur and Speights can be traded too). Duhon gives a PG but his contract is only guaranteed for $1.5M next season (ie. cut him this summer).

Wolves want Gasol and get Jamison as the big 3 or stretch 4 for their efforts.

I more or less like the trade which gives us a strong-assed center (which would help against Cousin type situations) a second DD-like player in Gay, which is a bit more of a leader than DD, but has plateued. We keep our key young gunz except
ED who I like but is a bit under-sized and weak against tougher players. We loose our best play-maker but hopefully Wroten+Duhon=Calderon. We get the win of trade by getting rid AB and his pasta.

It really is a tough call, main factor in me not liking it is that I don't think that the Timbits would be content with what they get for their 4 players.
They really would get 2 talented old guys who where one of them is limited with knee problems. Otherwise its a good trade I'd my account.

I know you have to give up talent for talent but I never wanted to see (Ed,Demar,Jv or Ross go... I'm a huge Rudy Gay fan wanted him reaching North a long time. Good bigs are hard to come by too we won't just pick up another Ed Davis fellas

I know you have to give up talent for talent but I never wanted to see (Ed,Demar,Jv or Ross go... I'm a huge Rudy Gay fan wanted him reaching North a long time. Good bigs are hard to come by too we won't just pick up another Ed Davis fellas

Davis isn't even that good. Besides, there are plenty of PFs to chase in free agency this summer who could easily step in and make us forget Davis ever existed. E.g.

I want NO part of Rudy Gay. A PER of only 14.9 this season (career, only 16.2) with a salary escalating to $19M+ in 3 years. Don't even get started on his pathetic defense. Are you f**ing kidding me? This is a classic BCo "overpay-and-go-for-the-name-to-distract-the-fan-base" type of desperation move. What the hell does the advanced stats guy, Alex Rucker, do anyway?

Davis hasn't impressed me. I admit he's played relatively well since Bargnani went down, but I don't see a star-in-the-making the way some see him. Like Amir, I see Davis as a role player who's easily replaced....not a franchise core.

Ed Davis is second on the team in PER and his 5th youngest. It's hard to fine a big with his motor and nose for the ball. Out off those bigs you name only one of them that averaging a double double(JJ Hickson). We saw Ed our play him last week.

Rudy Gay struggling at the moment is of little concern he is a very competitive guy he will get his stride back. The team does need a leader and I think Rudy could be that guy for the Raps, Im just dreading the buyers remorse in what we move for him Ross imo is a must keep, moving Davis would upset me but I would get over it.

If the deal Calderon+Ed is made who fills the spot with Bargs out and Ed now shipped? I dread going to Amir/Acy/Gray getting regular minutes to fill the now depleted 4 spot... and I really don't want Lucas to start playing 10 or so a game with Calderon gone we need a guy ahead of him.

Anyone who would be upset about anything we send out for rudy gay is hiliarious cuz i bet the same ppl salivated over getting him a year or so ago.. it's not like dudes 30 he's only 26 still in his prime and the wing/closer we've desperately needed for years..

Actually Memphis would be saving a lot still with DD. He is owed $9.5M a year.. where as Gay is owed about $17 just next season and it goes up the year after. That's about $8M a year savings and they get a nice young wing that can duplicate a lot of what Gay does. It's not a bad deal in my opinion.

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Problem is is any trade has to work for salary based on this season. So if demar makes like 4 million this year raptors would likely give up another 12 million in salary going to Memphis. But next season his contract increases by an additional 6 million so after this season they wouldn't have saved any money even if we gave them Jose's expiring contract. So what would memphis want more? Rudy gays contract and harsh tax, or Demar's contract and harsh tax?

Problem is is any trade has to work for salary based on this season. So if demar makes like 4 million this year raptors would likely give up another 12 million in salary going to Memphis. But next season his contract increases by an additional 6 million so after this season they wouldn't have saved any money even if we gave them Jose's expiring contract. So what would memphis want more? Rudy gays contract and harsh tax, or Demar's contract and harsh tax?

My point was Demar's contract is a poison pill between this year and next year. Which means that any money memphis may save this year by trading gay, they'll just owe again next year because of the increase of Demar's contract.

Ed Davis is second on the team in PER and his 5th youngest. It's hard to fine a big with his motor and nose for the ball. Out off those bigs you name only one of them that averaging a double double(JJ Hickson). We saw Ed our play him last week.

Raptors winning streak is a function of Jose, a steady Demar, and a great Bench. Actually .... a terrific Bench (aided by the return of some key players in that group). Amir has been a part of that as well - even taking it to another level in his Starting role. Ed is doing no such thing. He's had his moments, but his weakness gets exposed against Starting Bigs. Ed is simply too small to match up.

Our stats have been good during this stretch, however Points in the Paint is a weakness. If Jonas comes back first, I'd move him in, and Ed out of the Starting line-up. Shift Amir over to the PF spot for that coupling, then back to Centre when playing with Davis.

What the hell is with all of you with hard on's to make a trade. What happened to rebuilding and growing together? Why let go promising young talent when what is returning isn't that exceptional. Sorry but why lose our cap flexibility for a couple more wins.

Exception is Bargs, but I wouldnt mind if he comes off the bench and see what he can do with the second unit then send him off. What this team needs a couple of solid vets, good locker room guys and go into the summer and proper evaluate what we do have.

Rudy Gay dream over?

Not game specific, thatís for sure, but according to a highly-placed source, any chance of the Raptors picking up Rudy Gay in a trade are diminishing rapidly and itís less and less likely something will happen.

The reason?

The asking price is far too high.

As I mentioned last week, the players most coveted include the likes of Jose Calderon, Terrence Ross and one of the young bigs Ė and I know Valanciunasís name has come up in conversation Ė and I would suggest Bryan should have no interest in that kind of chatter.

Gayís a good player Ė heís a definite upgrade on what they have now Ė but if itís such a steep price that it robs you of your assets, itís not worth it.

All it does is make you different, and not necessarily better.

So you can put the chatter on hold for now; Iíd say itís 5-95 at best that they even have more serious discussions.

If Memphis wants Jose, Ross and JV for Gay then they can go F! themselves.